Gauge



A. A. STRAUS AND E. B. PRIEBE.

G AGE.

APPLlcAIloN FILED 1AN.31.1919.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922..

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NEW YGRK, N. Y.; SAID STRAUB VitSSG-'NOJBJ TO SAID PBEIBE.

GAUGE.'

applicati@ med January 31, 1919. serial No. 274,286.

To all who/m it may concern.'

Be it known that we, ALBERT A. STRAUB,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh,in the county of Alleghenyand State of Fennsylvania, and ERNEST B. Pinnen, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and' State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Granges, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to gauges for furnaces and steam boilers which are equipped with automatic stokers using forced draft. The object of the invention is toprovide a device for guiding firemen in the proper handling of such furnaces'or steam boilers to theend that certain conditions may be maintained whereby the utmost efficiency, in the operation of thev particular furnace or boiler to which the device is applied, may be obtained. f Y.

These conditions, are as follows: Y 1..'10 pass a definite quantity of air through the fuel bed in a certain time and .fat a certain pressure to burnthe fuel properly and economically. A

. 2. To supply the correct quantity of fuel to the furnace by means of the VStoker mechaaoY ofboiler to secure fthe utmost efficiency of said boiler byv supplyingthe proper quantity of.' coal, the proper quantity of air and the proper amount of pressure to burn said coal.

Itis wellknown that to burn fuel properly and economically a definite quantityV of e air must be passed through the fuel bed of a furnace or boiler in a certain time. VThe quantity of air passed through the fuel bed in furnaces or steam boilersV which are equipped with automatic stokers is proportionate to the pressure of air under the fuel bed; It is therefore obvious that for proper combustion of fuel with forced draft a definiterelation exists between the quantity ofv fuel fed and the air pressure under the fuel bed. With automaticstokers, which supply aV given-quantity of fuelrto the furnace per' ram stroke we can, by timing the frequency of occurrence of these strokes. and by means Vof xed relations,'which exist, determine the Specification of Letters Patent.

given a certain size and type` cated below the grate mechanism 13.

ratenteu aan?. s, rasa occurrence of ram strokes necessary for the proper combustion of the fuel supplied.

When the size and 'typejof a boiler is known, its efficiency, when operated at different per cents of its rated horse power capacity equipped with certain types and sizes ofy stokers, is also known. With a knowledge 'of these factors, the amount of coal required to be burned efficiently can be calculated and will remain practically constant for any one specified boiler rating for fuel of uniform character 'received at any one plant. rflierefore, the boiler capacity desired will determine the amount of coal to be burned Vper unit of time which will in turn determine the air pressure necessary to burn it properly. It is therefore evident that an indication of the pressure of air `under the fuel bed can be used to determine simultaneously on' adjacent scales the proper amountof coal to be burned or rate of ram Vstroke to generate the corresponding boiler capacity thatV will be developed.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a transverse section through the fuel bed of a steam boiler equipped with angunderfeed Stoker, our improved gauge being illustrated in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the type of gauge shown in connection with Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. a is a'horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. e

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified construction in which our invention is shown in connection with a bellows type of air pressure gauge. v

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several Views of the drawings. e

vIn the drawings, 10 represents a furnace, the same being equipped with an automatic stoker mechanism 11 of well-known con struction. 12 represents the wind box lo- An air inlet pipe 14, in which is a damper 15,

-connects with the wind box 12 and is adapted to furnish air thereto.

The gauge embodying our invention is `mounted adjacent to the stoker mechanism,

connected to the wind box 12 of the boiler by means of an inlet pipe 18. The tube 17 is fastened to the panel 16V by means of brackets 19 and 20. A gauge scale panel 21 is mounted between the arms 22 and 23 of the U shaped tube 17 said gauge scale panel being constructed in two parts 2e and 25,'

lthe edges of said panel being adapted to tightly fit the U shaped tube and adapted to be adjusted vertically thereupon. A series of graduations 26 representing the pressure within the wind box is placed upon the gauge scale panel 21 adjacent to the arm 22 of the U shaped tube.

i As the pressure rises within the wind box of the boiler, said pressure is exerted upon the liquid in the arm 22 of the U shaped tube and causes said liquid to be depressed a certain distance below the level of zero, indicated by the graduations 26, with a consequent equal rise of the level of said liquid in the column 28. The level of the liquid in the arm 22 as it registers with the graduations 26 will indicate the true pressure of the air in the wind box 12. Mounted upon the gauge scale panel 21 adjacent to the arm 23 of the U'shaped tube V and parallel therewith is a rod 27, said rod `being supported by brackets 28 fast to the gauge scale panel. A plurality of indicators 29, each provided with oppositely disposed pointers, are .adjustably mounted upon the rod 27 and upon each indicator is placed a figure or figures representing a certain period of time which is indicated in minutes or seconds or both. rIhis series of indicators constitutes a scale representing combustion rate which is the length of time it takes for the crank or acting mechanism ofthe plunger of the Stoker to make one complete revoution in order to feed the proper amount of coal into the furnace to bring about the necessary relations between the amount of fuel fed and quantity of air which is necesj sary `for a proper combustion. These indicators are placed so as to register with the diderent levels to which the liquid is forced in the arm 23 of the U shaped tube 17 by the different pressures of air beneath the grate mechanism. As has been. previously stated for a given size and type of steam boiler and a uniform fuel the pressure within the wind box will indicate a definite coal burning rate for proper conditions of combustion. Therefore, as the level of liquid rises in the arm 23 andV registers with the indicators 29'representingthe combustion rate, it will indicate to the fireman that the Stoker 27 and parallel thereto ismounted in the' brackets 28 and has adjustably mounted thereon a plurality of indicators 31, each provided with oppositely disposed pointers, each indicator having thereon a number representing av certain per cent. of the rated horse power capacity of the boiler. This series of indicators also `'constitutes a scale and represents the per cent. boiler rating or in other words, the per cent. of the rated horse power capacity of the boiler. As the level of the liquid rises in the arm 23 and registers with Vthe'indicators 29 and 31 it willsimultaneously indicate the combustion rate or speed at which it is necessary tooperate the Stoker mechanism Aand also give the per cent. of the rated horse power capacity at which the boileris running.

The operation of a steam boiler which has our improved gauge applied'thereto is as follows: Assuming that the fireman desires to operate the boiler to deliver' a certain percentage of its rated horse power capacity, he first adjusts the air pressure in the wind box until the level of the liquid rises inV the arm 28 of the t) shaped tube to aiign with one of the indicators 31V upon whichis indicated the desired rating, he next adjusts the rain stroke rate to that designated by the indicator 29, which is on the same level with the boiler rating indicator, in consequence of which the proper amount of .fuel will be fed to the boiler, thereby estabhshing the proper furnace conditions.`

On the other hand, if the fireman isl feeding fuelat a certain rate and desires to determine the necessary air pressure to burn this fuel7 he adjusts the air pressure until the record of this pressure Vindicates this fuel burning rate. In a similar manner the'fuel feeding rate can be determined from the air pressure intensity.

The adjustable indicators are set for each individual type of boiler from what are known as the characteristic operating curves for said stoker, said information being given by the makers of said Stoker.

In Figs. 5 and 6 another form of our in vention is illustratedapplied to a'bellows type of air pressure ginge. of gauge the pressure within the wind box is indicated by the pointer 34 which regis-l ters witha series of 'graduations 35'upon a panel 36. A slot 37 is formed in the panel V36, said slot describing the arclof a circle and being parallel to the series of gradua- In this typeY tions 35. Indicators 38 are adapted to slide in the slot and align with the graduations 35, said indicators 38 being held at any de sired location by means of thumb screws 39. This series of indicators constitutes a "scale and represents the combustion rate.

Another slot 4() is also formed in the panel 36 and is concentric with the slot 37. Indicators 41 are adapted to slide in the slot and are held therein by thumbv ing. Each of these sets of indicators are arranged radially with the graduations 35 and also with the pointer 34.

The information obtained from the readings of this gauge is exactly the same as the information contained on the form of gauge illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

Having thus specifically described our invention what we claim and desire by Let ters Patent to secure is:

l. In a furnace, an, automatic Stoker having means to regulate rate of fuel feed to furnace, a regulable means to supply air under pressure beneath the fuel bed in the furnace, and a movabl-e gauging element (for example, liquid or finger) operated by the air pressure beneath the fuel bed and so 'taking a position corresponding tothe total air-supply rate, which varies approximately yin proportion to such pressure, and a set of index graduations alongside the guaging element indicating the proper rates of fuel feed corresponding to different rates of air supply, whereby the operative may readily bringV the air supply and fuel feedl into efficient correspondence. 1 9.. A furnace and elements as in claim l and wherein s combined a second set of index graduations alongside the Vgauging element indicating the power' or total output of the furnace, or a boiler operated thereby, under any given conditions of air supply and corresponding fuel feed, for example, in terms of percentage of the full rated power, whereby the operative may readily adjust the air and fuel to give any desired power up to the full rated power.

3. A gauge for a boiler furnace or other furnace having automat-ic fuel feed and regulable air supply, the said gauge having a movable gauging element which assumes a position corresponding to the existing rate l of air Supply, and a set of graduations indicating the most efficient fuel feed rates for the differing air supply rates. l

4. A gauge as in claim 3 and wherein is provided a second set of graduations indicating the total power of the furnace under given conditions of air supply with corresponding fuel feed, whereby the operative may readily adjust the air and fuel to give any desired power up to the full rating.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

ALBERT A.' vSTRAUB. ERNEST B. PRIEBE. 

